Denmark

When we met a year ago, there was widespread concern that we had reached an impasse that threatened to paralyse the United Nations. I am happy to note today that this looming threat of division is receding and is being replaced by a renewed commitment to multilateralism. In that spirit, Denmark welcomes the Security Council's unanimous adoption of its resolution 1546 (2004), on Iraq. The resolution is, first and foremost, of great significance for the prospects of peace and stability in Iraq and throughout the region. It is also of great importance for the Security Councilís ability to perform its role as the custodian of international peace and security. The United Nations must play a leading role in the political process and in the reconstruction of Iraq. The wisdom and skill of the Secretary-General and his Special Adviser have advanced this process, and we hope that the advisory role of the United Nations will be further enhanced. We urge all Member States to support the interim Government of Iraq in its endeavours to establish peace and security in Iraq. The year 2005 will be the year in which Member Statesí willingness to work towards a strong, united and effective United Nations will be tested. The challenge is to develop credible, effective and comprehensive United Nations responses to the threats and challenges of the new millennium, whether they be conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peace- building, or the fight against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, or respect for human rights and international law, last but certainly not least, the enormous challenge of achieving the Millennium Development Goals. 45 Denmark strongly supports the Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change and looks forward to its report later this year. Efforts to reform the Organization, including enlarging the membership of the Security Council, must continue if the United Nations is to meet the new challenges. Democracy is also a question of representation, and if large parts of the world do not feel represented in the Security Council there is a risk that they will not feel bound by its decisions. The Security Council must reflect the realities of the world of today, not those of the past. We live in a world in which the distinction between military and non-military threats is increasingly blurred. Most current threats are complex and combine elements of both. Creating synergies among development, political and security components will be the key to the success of the United Nations. Denmark will endeavour to assist in this process across the full range of United Nations activities. Denmark is a candidate for election to the Security Council during this session of the General Assembly. If elected, the focus of Denmarkís tenure in the Council will be to seek new and more effective ways of integrating security and development and strengthening international law. In that connection, I welcome the Secretary-Generalís important opening statement in this debate (see ), in which he outlined the fundamental principles for a world order based on international law. Greater coherence is needed in international peace operations. We firmly believe that the United Nations needs to give civilian crisis management the same priority that is accorded to military crisis management. More than 40 per cent of countries emerging from conflict slide back into conflict. In order to build sustainable peace, much more attention needs to be given to the civilian aspects of crisis management. This includes the demobilization and reintegration of combatants as well as the social, economic and legal reconstruction of war-torn societies. We must make State-building a central goal of conflict management and peace-building, alongside the provision of basic security. Whatever mechanism we set up, the challenge is to ensure the involvement of all stakeholders. That includes national Governments, the Secretariat, United Nations development funds and programmes, the Bretton Woods institutions, regional organizations and bilateral donors. In order to improve compliance with Security Council resolutions, the process towards targeted and smarter sanctions should be continued. The challenge is twofold. First, the Security Council must rigorously implement its resolutions, including when they stipulate serious consequences in case of non- compliance. Secondly, the countries concerned must be given positive incentives to comply with those resolutions. Terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are serious threats to peace and security and impede progress towards stability and prosperity. Terrorists threaten the everyday life and values of millions of innocent individuals. Terrorists must be stopped by hard power and by soft power to prevent decades of unrest and terror. Countering new threats requires a multifaceted, integrated response by the United Nations and its partners. Success demands synergy, a finely tuned mix of diplomacy, aid, police efforts, intelligence, legal assistance and - if need be - military power. The United Nations must take a leading role in the fight against terrorism, providing both the framework for global efforts and the legitimacy for collective action. Terror must not lead to isolation; it must not stop globalization. In the world of today, huge global disparities in resources have become apparent to everybody. Social and economic exclusion, as well as deficient democracies, the absence of the rule of law and lack of respect for human rights, contribute to political radicalization and religious extremism. Ensuring that new generations have access to the benefits of globalization - such as democracy and hope for a better future - is a global challenge. The main responsibility for fighting terrorism lies with individual States. This includes compliance with relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as ratification and implementation of the 12 United Nations conventions against terrorism. Denmark supports efforts to reinvigorate the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC). We support efforts to renew and upgrade the offer of technical assistance to countries that need it. The work of the CTC must be better focused and linked with the assistance extended to countries that have the will - but lack the means ó to meet the requirements of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). 46 Just as important, we must strengthen international agreements to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Denmark therefore supports Security Council resolution 1540 (2004), and looks forward to its full implementation. The United Nations has been instrumental in establishing the core international human rights conventions. This year we are celebrating the twenty- fifth anniversary of one of those conventions - the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The importance of the elimination of discrimination against women and of ensuring respect for the right of women to decide freely over their own lives - including in matters relating to marriage, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS - is self-evident. This main message of the Cairo Programme of Action, adopted 10 years ago, is as relevant today as ever. With a view to eradicating torture, Denmark calls upon all States to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, so that it can enter into force at an early date. We are now in the era of implementation of those human rights commitments that have been undertaken. As the main body in its field, the Commission on Human Rights has a crucial role to play in this respect and should be further strengthened. 2005 will be a defining moment for the United Nations. World leaders will meet in New York to take stock of progress in the implementation of the Millennium Declaration. That meeting will provide a unique opportunity to break new ground, push ahead with the interlinked agenda of peace, security and development and follow up the recommendations of the High-level Panel. A key priority for Denmark will be to speed up the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. The results so far are not sufficiently encouraging - especially with regard to Africa. Denmark attaches the highest priority to Africaís development and would like the situation there and its prospects to be high on the agenda at the 2005 summit. In order to reach the Millennium Development Goals, an effective partnership will be required between developed and developing countries. The gap between goals and resources must be closed. We are deeply concerned about the inadequacy of the current level of development financing. Further resources are needed, as is better coordination in their allocation. Last year, Denmark took the lead in making our commitments transparent in a Millennium Development Goals report. A new report will be published next month. We call on all other States to do likewise. Development efforts and conflict resolution in Africa must go hand in hand. Progress achieved in economic and social development will be sustainable only if we manage to put an end to conflict on the African continent. We stand ready to support the significant and sustained efforts undertaken by the Africans themselves in this regard. There is a need to further strengthen the African security architecture in cooperation with the African Union, subregional African organizations, the United Nations, the European Union and Governments acting bilaterally. We also need to strengthen the regional approaches of the United Nations in the field. Denmark stands ready to contribute actively. Furthermore, recent natural disasters illustrate the importance of dealing with international environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity, deforestation and desertification. The Secretary-General has shown great leadership in pressing for strengthened and effective multilateralism, and things are slowly starting to come together. Our common voyage will not be over with the 2005 summit - far from it. The High-level Panel's report, a renewed focus on post-conflict intervention, and the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals can herald a new age of strong and effective multilateralism if, collectively, we rise to the challenge. The task of this generation is to hand the world to the next generation in better shape than we received it. Denmark will spare no effort in its endeavours to translate that vision into reality.